Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-09-24
a0oiji SNAKE uAScB,
The Diabolical Festivities of the Mo aui Indians. The "Iost Ancient
 Order of Snakes
Description of How These slImy, Kissing Rat,Iing Reptiles age Handled by this Mysterious Order. Snakes
 by tho MouthfuL

DeScr.pti Of How These slilny. HtsStnSs
 Rat,Iing Reptiles age Handled by
 this Mysterious Order. Snakes
 by tho MouthfuL.
 To-day is .he eliminating one in the festival Uf the Most AncieDt Order of Snakee," an organization that dates back lorg pricr to the coming of the Moqul Indlans Co the villages Eow occupied ty them. and iu fact so far back that one becomes bewildered in R labyrinth of legendary data from which it Is oonpar- s:ively useless 70 try to ceduce an idea ot time. l learned enough, however, from Dr. Sullivan and some MOqui h. diana, to give the readers of the Critic an article on the subject.
 Ii seems from what 1 could glesD, that this feast IS not one pertaining to religious worship, but Is wholly pub lie demonstration of q mysterious or der, similar ID its secrets to masonry or odd fellowship. I am told that it does teach of the supernatural beings, yet IL does not recogniZs any one tu.elRry god, nor provide any Hmalets or fetiches to be worn by the members. To assume | that this dance pertains to any psrticu. | Ter worship would be an error and would | be doing the participants sn injustice also; as they most emphGtically dIsclgIm any connection whatever with the work Ings of the gods.
 This ceremony IS celebrated only once every two years, and It occupies sixteen days to prepare for 1t. The first eight days being observed by the high priests and leaders in getting together the va .Ious articles used in the dance, and m the preparation of the infusion which IS drank by thOsarwho arc to take part, that the fumes of the serpents or even their | bite may not prove injurious to any one. IL is the preparation of this drink that IS the profound secret of She order, and it is but known to four living beings at the l same time. Dr. Sullivan and other prominent scientists have from time to time tired to briSe lhe keepers of the secret tO impart II to them, but 1t was of no use: SO it remains a secret in fact, to-day, the same as it was hundreds of years ego.
 l The remaining eight days are devoted to hunting snakes of all kinds, handling | and washing them, or rather "subduing their vicious habits" Rs the Moqui puts it. This washing Is more of shower bath. aud IS accomplished by putting the snakes into large stone jars, then pOur- ing the wster over them. This O. course chilling the serpent, put It into a semi cOmstose condition, thG: leaves it uom- psrstively helpless; they 1re then taken from out of tbe jars, rolled in dry sand until dry and then replaced in the ves- sels, where, covered as they are with a | tanned buckskio. neither light nor a breeze can get st them to disturb their | quietness. Usually from a hGlf to q third are fuil grown rattle snakes, and the idea of the removal ot the fangs is altogether erroneous. for I found by seeing dog bitten, that there was just ss much vIr1s as ihsre could have been prior to the capture of the ratsier.
 The evening before the dance proper | a preliminary one wss held but as no snskes were handled 1t was Of no real impoT;ancs. After singing 8 song Of several verses. Tn the archaic, the mem bers returned to their quarters. To- day. however. the programme was more elaborate. A large cottonwood shsde- or wiokiup-vss erected upon the vest ern edge of the dance space close to the line of The houses, into which just be- fore the hour Of commencing the exer- clses, the snakes enclosed ID sacks of various size. were placed. with the mouths of the sacss securely ted, that none might escape. After the placing O.: the snakes m ;his bower. a large cot tonwood board, which was securely faa. tened to the ground immediately in front Of the doorway in Inc shade, wsa brushed clean and s.riukled with meal mixed with corn pollen. This. I wss told. WAC Co di-pel sn evil influences from harmirg the dgcccrS.
 | When this set of seem ming devotion was finished, the attention was drawn to tbe tUrthermost part of the village, where arose mingled sounds of ratsles. ebelis and other wea tinklIng ornaments. This was the signal for the coming u9 from the estuihs and cn to tue arena, of the men who dancing the mex. hour would take into their hands and mouths spec linens oi the most regulsIve of natures ngnclTOrk; the creeping. s!imy, terror bearing snake, with iis giistsning black eyer, be ring venge!ui spite in their every E2srkle, end cash lightning flash Of it's tongue.
 The participants were composed of two bodies Of men. t5irtY-six of whom danced with the snakes and a smaller number wbo formed "A chorus of singing men. These latter were the first :0 come upon She scene. and were dressed ID bright colored esabruirdsrei kilts, sRshes, anklets, and with beautifully tan. ned yellow fox skins hanging down be- 1ind tho body; bearing small. fiat rat ties in one hand while confiued in She clasp Of the other Was held a stisk. to which was fastened ccuule of turkey feathers. This stick, they clsirn, carries the necessary protection for ones life and lets the snakes tutelsry god know that none of his progeny will be injured or carried tO remote lands. These men made four of five circuits of the small plaza and tben took mp position to the west side Ot it. leaving the cottonwood shHde in the center of tneir line. Alter having arranged themSelyes properly, iu s state of extraordinary exasltRtiOn the snake men came marching with tre- mendOus energy. ss though inspired to bound across ths entire mesa at a single stride; this motion adds greatly to the iupressIvsness c: .h5 serioGs scene. and thrills the spectato. Co an excited frame of mind, for the ensuing act.
 | These dancing men ike their prede- cessors, made four circnI:s around the same rock, which stands near the centre oi the plaza, halting to tsra the chorus. where as in the day before a song was gone through with. The snak e men were formed into grIGpss O, three each. and now Rn individual cf each 2rolp vent in.0 the cotton wood shade and xtrec.sd a snake from 2ne oi 'he abEs and after putting it into his mouth aud firmly ! fixiug T. there by th1 teeth. started on bls round; his companion win un srm around ms neck, ke2. the tail If the srske ID position while with his right. in which was earned a st ok wl,h two long feathers attached, held the head of the serpent away from becoming tang. led ID the haIr nf hIs frienl. The snake after being earned around the circle is throgn from the mouth. when the tb,-a